{"product_id":"original-german-wwii-kriegsmarine-c-plath-hamburg-naval-sextant-with-eagle-m-property-marking-serial-6493-wooden-case-and-1973-japanese-examination-sheets","title":"Original German WWII Kriegsmarine C. Plath Hamburg Naval Sextant with Eagle \/ M Property Marking - Serial 6493 - Wooden Case and 1973 Japanese Examination Sheets","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. This is an exceptionally appealing German WWII \u003cstrong\u003eKriegsmarine marked marine sextant by C. Plath of Hamburg\u003c\/strong\u003e, one of Germany’s most respected manufacturers of precision nautical instruments. Unlike an ordinary civilian navigation sextant, this example carries the distinctive \u003cstrong\u003eKriegsmarine Eagle \/ M naval property marking\u003c\/strong\u003e directly above serial number 6493, providing an unmistakable connection to German naval service during WWII. It remains remarkably complete with its original frame, mirrors, micrometer assembly, monocular, telescope, Bakelite handle, and correct fitted wooden carrying case. Adding considerably to its history are two later Japanese examination sheets retained inside the case, including one dated \u003cstrong\u003eMarch 6th, 1973\u003c\/strong\u003e from Sasebo, Japan, documenting that the instrument was still being examined for serviceability nearly three decades after WWII.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe center of the index arm is clearly marked:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e(EAGLE)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eM\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e6493\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eC. Plath\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHamburg\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Eagle over M marking is the most important military feature of the instrument and identifies it as Kriegsmarine property. Combined with the C. Plath Hamburg manufacturer marking and individual serial number, it gives the sextant excellent appeal to collectors of German naval navigation equipment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eC. Plath was established in Hamburg in \u003cstrong\u003e1862\u003c\/strong\u003e by Carl Plath and became internationally known for high quality sextants and other precision marine navigation instruments. Hamburg’s position as one of Europe’s major ports created a natural market for such equipment, and Plath instruments became well regarded among both merchant and naval mariners.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring WWII, accurate celestial navigation remained essential aboard warships and submarines despite enormous advances in radio navigation and other technologies. Naval vessels operating far from recognizable landmarks still depended upon traditional navigation instruments to independently establish their position at sea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sextant was among the navigator’s most important precision instruments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe word “sextant” derives from the Latin concept of a sixth, referring to the instrument’s graduated arc, which traditionally represents approximately one sixth of a complete circle. Through its system of mirrors, however, a sextant can measure angles considerably larger than the physical arc itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis example uses the classic \u003cstrong\u003eladder pattern frame\u003c\/strong\u003e associated with high quality marine sextants.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe graduated arc runs from approximately:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0 to 120 degrees\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe principal function of the sextant was to measure the angular altitude of a celestial object, such as the sun, moon, planet, or navigational star, above the visible horizon. When combined with an accurate timepiece, nautical almanac, charts, and the necessary calculations, those observations could be used to determine a vessel’s position.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sextant is a \u003cstrong\u003edouble reflection instrument\u003c\/strong\u003e. Light from the celestial object is reflected through the index and horizon mirrors until the image can be brought into apparent contact with the horizon. The navigator then reads the resulting angle from the graduated arc and micrometer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis system allowed skilled navigators to establish their position with remarkable accuracy using no external electronic signal. For a naval vessel operating under wartime conditions, that independence was particularly valuable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe instrument would have been especially important during long range operations when radio silence was required or when electronic navigation aids were unavailable, unreliable, or undesirable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKriegsmarine navigation officers and trained personnel aboard surface vessels required accurate position fixing for route planning, convoy operations, rendezvous, minefield avoidance, coastal approaches, and general open ocean navigation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCelestial navigation also had particular importance to U-Boat operations. A submarine operating far into the Atlantic could surface when conditions permitted and use observations of the sun or stars to help establish its position. There is no provenance identifying this specific sextant with a particular U-Boat or vessel, however, so it should be regarded more broadly as an original Kriegsmarine naval navigation instrument.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sextant retains its major components, including the:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eframe\u003cbr\u003eindex arm\u003cbr\u003emicrometer assembly\u003cbr\u003eindex mirror\u003cbr\u003esplit horizon mirror\u003cbr\u003efour index shades\u003cbr\u003ethree horizon shades\u003cbr\u003emonocular\u003cbr\u003etelescope\u003cbr\u003eBakelite handle\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe optical components are somewhat dusty but remain in fine condition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eindex mirror\u003c\/strong\u003e and circular split \u003cstrong\u003ehorizon mirror\u003c\/strong\u003e are still present. The four index shades and three horizon shades also survive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese colored shades were essential when taking observations of particularly bright objects, most notably the sun. By positioning one or more shades into the optical path, the navigator could safely reduce glare while maintaining a clearly defined image for measurement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe index arm retains its micrometer assembly and remains functional. There is some normal light surface and edge flaking to this portion of the instrument.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe main metal frame retains its satin black enamel finish and is in \u003cstrong\u003every good condition\u003c\/strong\u003e, showing almost no significant wear or chipping.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe graduated 120 degree arc is an alloy component with the graduations highlighted in white for visibility. Other markings are similarly factory highlighted, allowing the navigator to read the instrument more easily under working conditions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe lower \u003cstrong\u003eBakelite handle\u003c\/strong\u003e remains in excellent condition and is properly maker marked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sextant comes in its correct wooden carrying case measuring approximately:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e12 ½ x 12 ½ x 6 ¾”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe fitted case was important not simply for transportation but for protecting the instrument’s delicate optical and mechanical alignment. A precision sextant could only provide reliable measurements if its mirrors, index arm, and other components remained correctly aligned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe case retains both original latches but shows \u003cstrong\u003every heavy exterior wear\u003c\/strong\u003e, consistent with substantial handling and long term storage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo additional accessories are currently present inside the case.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf particular interest are two later \u003cstrong\u003e“Sextant Exam” sheets\u003c\/strong\u003e retained inside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth are Japanese, documenting a fascinating postwar chapter in the instrument’s history. The front examination sheet is dated:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMarch 6th, 1973\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand bears the name:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSasebo Kokai Sokkisha Co.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSasebo-City, Japan\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese papers indicate that the sextant was being examined decades after its wartime manufacture and suggest that it remained regarded as a functional precision navigation instrument long after WWII.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSasebo itself adds an interesting maritime context. The city has long been an important Japanese naval port, making the presence there of a former Kriegsmarine C. Plath sextant particularly intriguing. The documents do not establish exactly how or when the instrument reached Japan, but they provide genuine evidence of its postwar history and offer an excellent avenue for additional research.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe story of this sextant therefore spans two distinct periods of maritime history. It began as a precision C. Plath instrument bearing German Kriegsmarine property markings during WWII and was still being professionally examined in Japan in 1973.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat continued life is a testament to both the durability of traditional celestial navigation and the quality of instruments produced by firms such as C. Plath. Even as radar, radio direction finding, and increasingly sophisticated electronic systems transformed navigation, a properly adjusted sextant remained a completely independent means of determining position.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor collectors, original navigation instruments have a particularly strong connection to the daily operation of a warship. A sextant was not decorative equipment. It was a precision tool upon which a vessel’s position, course, and ultimately its safe operation could depend.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis example combines nearly all of the features one hopes to find: the prominent \u003cstrong\u003eKriegsmarine Eagle \/ M property marking\u003c\/strong\u003e, C. Plath Hamburg manufacturer identification, serial number 6493, excellent surviving satin black finish, intact optical and mechanical components, original Bakelite handle, correct wooden case, and unusually interesting 1973 Japanese examination papers. The dusty optics, minor edge flaking, heavy wear to the case, and absence of additional case accessories are fully disclosed. It would make an outstanding centerpiece for a Kriegsmarine, German naval navigation, U-Boat equipment, C. Plath, celestial navigation, or advanced WWII maritime collection.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44815030222917,"sku":"ONSV26PCS007","price":995.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/ONSV26PCS007.jpg?v=1774458611","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-german-wwii-kriegsmarine-c-plath-hamburg-naval-sextant-with-eagle-m-property-marking-serial-6493-wooden-case-and-1973-japanese-examination-sheets","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}